Como se combate o populismo? "Com eleições", responde Fukuyama

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10:00am 06/20/05 9 OUT OF 10 U.S. LEADING INDICATORS FALL IN MAY
10:00am 06/20/05 U.S. APRIL LEADING INDEX REVISED FLAT VS FALL 0.2% PREV

ECONOMIC REPORT: U.S. leading indicators down 0.5%
By Greg Robb, MarketWatch
Last Update: 10:08 AM ET June 20, 2005

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - A leading gauge designed to forecast economic trends three to six months in advance continues to flash caution, the Conference Board said Monday.

The board's index of leading indicators dropped 0.5% in May. Nine out of the ten leading indicators fell in the month.

The decline was larger expected. The consensus forecast of Wall Street economists had expected a 0.2 percent fall.

This is the fifth straight month without an increase in the leading index.

In April, the index was revised to show no change compared with the initial estimate of a 0.2% decline.

The coincident index rose 0.2%, while the lagging index rose 0.3%.

The leading index has now declined at a 2.2% annual rate over the last six months. It has declined by 1.9% over the last 12 months.

About half of the decline in the leading index over the past year has been due to the flattening interest rate spread. The other half has been the result of the drop in vendor performance.